passes the time, but seriously flawed

Rating: 6/10 (2 March 2006)

'The Island' could have been great, but it turned out to be simply good; not even very good.
The film starts off very, very well, in what appears to be a '1984'-type totalitarian state, but once Lincoln Six Echo discovers the truth, or even from the moment he starts to suspect that something is afoot, the film just goes from bad to worse. The action is far too OTT, and completely unrealistic. If you're after good car chase sequences then watch either of the 'Bourne' films, or better still, 'Ronin.' The island provided plenty of thrills, but only the type that satisfy the most shallow of action film junkies. I personally love action films, (such as 'Die Hard' or 'Aliens.' They're both action classics and i adore them) but they have to have some substance as well as eye-popping visuals in order to be a good film overall.
There are other parts of the film that appealed; when Lincoln and Jordan are in the 'real' Tom Lincoln's house, and the bit in the biker bar, just after they've broken out. Suddenly the character based dialogue is back, and Ewan, (both of them!) and Scarlett show that they can act. It's a shame the film doesn't contain more scenes like this, as the two leads are very good. As it turns out, Michael Bay suffocates nearly all of their talent, reducing the film to a ridiculous special FX bonanza, which is mildly boring and unrealistic.
This film isn't all bad. It's really gutting to have a movie that started off so well, and then had nearly all the potential sucked out of it by a complete moron of a director. As well as the more intimate scenes between Scarlett and Ewan, the music is really good, and Sean Bean puts in his usual top-draw performance; if Sean was in it more he might have made this a 4* star film. Alas, his talent is a bit wasted.
If you want a modern sci-fi action/chase film, then watch 'Minority Report' which is brilliant. If you have to watch a Michael Bay film, then watch 'Armageddon' which has just as much action, etc. as 'The Island' and it's a decent film to boot.